News
18.01.2010Public Inquiry into the Auchencorth Wind Farm Proposal
A Public Inquiry into the Auchencorth Wind farm proposal is to be held in the Penicuik Town Hall, starting at 10 am or 9.30am on second and subsequent days.
Week 1 Tuesday 19th to Friday 22nd January
Week 2 Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th January
Please make every effort to attend. PEPA needs your support in its efforts to protect the beautiful setting of Penicuik and the Pentland Hills. We need to back the local democratic decision of our Councillors and uphold the Local Plan.
06.08.2009Last Chance To Try To Stop Auchencorth Moss Wind Farm
A Public Inquiry will be held on Jan 19th 2010. Last date for sending in comments is 24th August 2009. Write today:-
Colin Bell
Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals
4 The Courtyard
Callendar Business Park
Falkirk
FK1 1XR
Example letter available here.
We put a man on the moon forty years ago, surely we can produce around 10 MW of renewable electricity without destroying one of Scotland’s iconic views and putting blocks of concrete in a peat bog forever. We could also economise on electricity instead of destroying what makes life worthwhile for so many people.
You could see the view of the Pentlands for the next twenty five years and know you helped protect the view for locals and tourists, who give one in ten of us our livelihood. On the other hand you could see an industrialised landscape for the next twenty five years. You would also be paying extra for intermittent electricity that needs 90% back up mainly from fossil fuel whilst, no doubt, other better renewable power is devised.
Please see the new montages in the library in Penicuik or Midlothain Council offices. The images are also on EON's website. "EON Auchencorth", then on the left halfway down is Auchencorth and under that Supplemental Environmental Information. The montages are in the section Figures. The proposed wind farm is clearly visible from so many parts of Midlothian and Edinburgh.
A Wigtownshire Councillor who approved the Portpatrick wind farm said this month that he was shocked to see the scale of the turbines going up and that, from manipulated photo images, people don't get a "flavour of the bulk" of the turbines. Another councillor said: "It's a shame we can't turn back the clock and determine the North Rhins farm today."
We were lucky Midlothian Councillors had the imagination to realise that the Pentlands Hills is the wrong place for a wind farm. The Local Plan Reporter protected the setting of the Pentland Hills. Please give them your support and tell the Reporter this is the wrong place for a wind farm.
15.06.2009Letter of objection
EON said in their Appeal letter that the full spectrum of response should be assessed, over 2400 against and 27 for the wind farm last time was apparently not good enough! Please show you are opposed by writing either your own letter of objection or use this pro forma letter.
We will have no right of appeal after the Scottish Government Reporter has made his decision. This is our last chance to save this iconic view. Download the pro forma letter here.
04.06.2009
Change of final date for submissions
EON placed an advertisement regarding Supplementary Environmental Information in relation to the Auchencorth wind farm proposal and requested comments to be sent to the DPEA in writing by 19th June 2009. The SEI runs to three volumes.
The DPEA today (June 3rd) has changed EON's timescale and informed us the final date for submission of representations will be set at a pre Inquiry meeting at 6.30pm on Thursday, 2nd July, venue to be arranged. Please help in this intervening period to spread the word.
Unfortunately our advertisement in the Town Crier has already gone to press with the wrong date but there was a proviso it could change. Please advise friends and neighbours and direct them to this website www.pepawind.org.uk
01.06.2009Please help stop Auchencorth wind farm again
The silence from PEPA for so many months is because we made a legal challenge on 23rd September 2008 against EON's appeal of the Midlothian Councillors' decision, under TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997 section 48(7). Our challenge was dismissed on 21st May 2009.
On 14th May EON advertised Supplemental Environmental Information in the Midlothian Advertiser and are seeking representations by June 19th 2009. We will provide further information when updated by the DPEA.
The documents are in Penicuik Library, Midlothian House and can be downloaded from EON's website. EON have reduced the number of turbines from 18 to 14. If you would like to support us please register on the web site. If you previously registered and have changed your email address, please update.
Please make your views known in writing to: Colin Bell, Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals, 4 The Courtyard, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR
27.08.2008E.ON Lodge Appeal
On 22 August 2008 E.ON lodged an appeal against Midlothian Council's decision of 12 February 2008 to reject the application for a windfarm on Auchencorth. Thank you for your support so far - we would be grateful for your support in our continued opposition.
12.02.2008Midlothian Council Refuse Auchencorth Wind Farm Proposal
Midlothian Planning Committee decided today on an application by EON to build 18, 100m metre high turbines with their associated infrastructure on Auchencorth Moss, near Penicuik, Midlothian. The Councillors voted by 11 votes to 3 to reject the application. Midlothian Council Planning Department strongly advised refusal because it contravened so many planning policies. Auchencorth Moss is a peat bog, part of which, adjacent to the proposed wind farm, is a raised peat bog. The Moss sits between the Pentland Hills and Moorfoot Hills and is only 14 miles from Edinburgh.
The proposal had objections from SNH, SEPA, Historic Scotland, Scottish Borders Council, Ramblers Association, Pentlands Hills Regional Park, Friends of the Pentlands, Esk Valley Trust, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation Society and local Community Councils. There were 2,400 objections from the public, mainly local, with 27 representations for the proposal.
Penicuik Environment Protection Association are very grateful to Midlothian Council Planners and Councillors for the careful and rigorous consideration of the proposal on local and national planning policy grounds. All aspects were examined and independent reports were commissioned when required. If EON appeal the decision, we believe that any fresh consideration of the facts by Ministers can only reach the same conclusion. We would like to thank all those who took the time to object to this proposal and all those who have helped in the last two and a half years.
24.01.2008Midlothian Council Planning Committee Meeting
Midlothian Council Planning Committee announced at their January meeting that they will make a decision on the Auchencorth wind farm proposal at their 12th February meeting.
18.12.2007Report by Penicuik Environment Protection Association of Seminar for Midlothian Councillors
This is a report by the Penicuik Environment Protection
Association of a Seminar for Midlothian Councillors on the Auchencorth Wind Farm Proposal.
Rescheduled Meeting
The rescheduled meeting of the Planning Committee of Midlothian Council is now to be held in Penicuik Town Hall at 10am on December 12th 2007 when Midlothian Councillors will hear presentations from EON and an opposing presentation from PEPA. Only the councillors will be able to ask questions. We would urge all those who care about the setting of Penicuik and want to look at the Pentland Hills for the next twenty five years, knowing they did their best to preserve the view, to come to this meeting. Please give us your support. It is our last chance as we have no right of appeal if the Councillors accept this proposal.
20.10.2007CANCELLED - Windfarm Meeting at 10am on Wednesday 24th October
There was to be a Special Meeting of the Planning Committee in Penicuik Town Hall at 10.00am on Wednesday 24 October 2007, when the applicant (E.ON) and representatives of the objectors would be given the opportunity to summarise their respective cases prior to determination of the application by the Committee at a future date. Midlothian Council has informed us that, "At the time the aforementioned arrangements were discussed, it had been anticipated that the planning application report would be available for the Special Meeting on the 24th. However, as responses are still awaited from consultees it is anticipated that the report will not now be finalised until after that date. Under the circumstances, and after consultation with Councillor Imrie, Chair of the Planning Committee, it has been agreed to cancel the Special Meeting on 24 October."
02.10.2007Special Meeting of the Planning Committee
The Planning Department has informed us that "The present plan is for a visit to Black Law wind farm on 4th October, a wind energy seminar to committee members is planned for 11th October in Penicuik Town Hall. It is then proposed that on 24th October, a special meeting of the planning committee will be convened in Penicuik Town Hall at 10am to allow the various parties to present their cases. It will then be decided whether the application will be considered at the next monthly planning committee meeting, which would be Tuesday 13th November, or a further special meeting."
02.10.2007Local Plan Inquiry
The Midlothian Landscape Capacity Study which was endorsed by Midlothian Council and was to be incorporated into the Local Plan is to be discussed at the Local Plan Inquiry. The Landscape Study states that Midlothian is not suitable for turbines over 30m in height and in clusters of no more than 5 and only in limited locations. EON are objecting to the Council's support of the Study and are challenging it. EON have changed the date of their Formal inquiry from Wednesday 10th to Friday 12th of October 2007 at Newtongrange Mining Museum. PEPA have a Hearing on 11th October 2007 when they will put forward the view that, while wholeheartedly supporting the Council in the acceptance of the Landscape Capacity Study, would like to see special protection for Auchencorth Moss. The Reporter will not report his findings until the spring.
The PEPA committee is now preparing a presentation for the Special Planning Committee on 24th October 2007 in Penicuik Town Hall. We would welcome your support.
We would like to thank all of you who helped us reach the figure of 2,400 objections and hope all the hard work of the last two years will be enough to preserve the ancient peat bog of Auchencorth and the landscape of the Pentlands and Moorfoots.
20.03.2007Landscape Capacity Study
The Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Turbine Development has been published. It states that there is no area in Midlothian suitable for large commercial wind farms. There are a few places where turbines of up to 30m high could be accommodated in clusters of no more than five.
On Tuesday, 20th March, Midlothian Councillors accepted the Landscape Capacity Study and voted for it to be incorporated in the Finalised Local Plan. The study will go to consultation for six weeks and if accepted will be incorporated in the Finalised Local Plan which the Reporter will consider in November. The Study is to be a material consideration in repect of this wind farm application.
25.12.2006British Wind Energy Association Press Release
The BWEA issued a press release on 21st December 2006.
"The renewables revolution firmly underway means that a record number of homes will be powered by the wind this Christmas: wind turbines in the UK generate sufficient electricity to meet the needs of over a million households - or to boil enough water for two billion cups of tea to wash down the Christmas meal"
A look at the Met office web site will show there was hardly any wind over the whole of the UK on Christmas Day. Of the seventy seven stations there were only five stations consistently over 11 knots (about 5.5 metres per second) Lerwick, Kirkwall, Stornaway, Tiree and Isle of Portland. The highest wind speed recorded was Tiree at 22 knots (about 11 metres per second). Not one station reached the optimum generating speed of an average large turbine of 15 metres per second. How could a million homes have been supplied with not one area of Britain having the optimum amount of wind and the majority not even reaching the cut in speed of the average turbine, 3 metres per second? Two billion cups of cold tea?
There were almost the same conditions last year on Christmas Day only slightly calmer, hence the claim it would be a record this year! How much fossil fuel was burned to back up this deficit? Congratulations to those who managed to balance the grid. Will they still manage next Christmas with yet more unpredictable wind power stations or will we join Europe in blackouts?
September 2006Public Bodies Make Representations
Public bodies who made representations against the proposal include Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Borders Regional Council, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Friends of the Pentlands, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Ramblers Association, Esk Valley Trust, Butterfly Conservation Society, Howgate Community Council and West Linton Community Council.
September 2006Representations Submitted to Midlothian Council
Representations on the proposal, submitted to Midlothian Council Spring 2006, are now on public view at the Council Offices. We estimate there were over 2000 representations from the public against the proposal with about 20 in support.
July 2006PEPA Submits Detailed Rebuttal
PEPA submitted a full detailed rebuttal of the Envronmental Statement in July 2006 covering Landscape Impact, Technical Impracticalities, Habitat and Species Impact, Tourism, Cultural Heritage Impact, Amenity and Safety Impacts and National Energy Policy.
28.04.06Midlothian Council Commission Landscape Capacity Study
Midlothian Council are in the process of commissioning a landscape capacity study for Midlothian in regard to wind farms and therefore, because of this delay, representations will be received until the end of May. (UPDATE January 2007. The Planning Department state they are still accepting representations due to the delay in considering the application. The Landscape Capacity Study which has to be considered first, is dure the beginning of February.)
21.03.06Success of Public Meeting on 19th March 2006
Many thanks to Professor David Bellamy, Bob Graham, David Brierley and John Campbell QC for their huge efforts on our behalf. Beeslack School hall was crammed to hear their excellent speeches and presentations and it was most enlightening for those present.
16.03.06Visibility
The Environmental Statement states that, given a radius of 15km, just over 9 miles, the proposed Auchencorth Moss wind power station will be visible from 57 Scheduled Monuments, 10 Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes and 233 listed buildings. Rosslyn Chapel, the source of much tourist income in Midlothian, is included in this list.
Apart from the obvious visibility from parts of Penicuik, other areas affected within this radius are Howgate, Carlops, Ninemileburn, Lasswade, Broomieknowe, Temple, Gorebridge, Newtongrange and Alnwickhill, Edinburgh. There will be many more listed buildings affected. The map of visibility shows the wind power station will be seen right out to the Firth of Forth and Arthur's Seat.
The main industry in Scotland is tourism. We have an economic need to preserve these wonderful buildings and their settings for our future prosperity instead of giving Scotland's greatest asset away for minimal CO2 gain. One single flight a day from London to New York will produce the same CO2 as is claimed to be saved per day by this wind farm.
10.03.06Secretary of State rejects Whinash Windfarm application in the Lake District
The Secretary of State agreed with the Inspector's decision that the environmental harm to this particular landscape outweighs the benefits of securing renewable energy on the Whinash site. This site is an important and integral part of a far reaching landscape which is highly sensitive to change. The Auchencorth site lying between two areas designated of great landscape value is also part of a far reaching landscape being visible for many miles around and would similarily detract from the area as a whole. The wider area is the lungs and playground of the half a million residents of Edinburgh and should be preserved for their pleasure and relaxation.
07.03.06Adam Smith Institute Website Comments
Two comments from Allan MacRae reproduced below with kind permission from the Adam Smith Institute Website.
(1) While many people would like to believe that wind power is an economic energy technology, an excellent report from Germany provides strong evidence that wind is highly uneconomic in most onshore locations.
The report is 'E.On Netz Wind Power Report 2005' at http://www.eon-netz.com/EONNETZ_eng.jsp
A German leader in this industry, E.On Netz operates more wind power than the entire USA. Its Substitution Factor (the amount that wind power can displace conventional power stations in the grid) is very low at 8% now, dropping to 4% in 2020 - this is the key to why wind power is not economic.
At a 4% Substitution Factor, E.On must install 24 times more wind power capacity than the conventional power that the wind power replaces. In effect, this means that for every wind power project constructed, Germany still needs a similar-sized hydro, coal, gas or nuclear power plant to support it.
This report demonstrates the key flaw that is ignored in virtually all analyses of wind power - the wind does not blow enough when you need it and so wind power is ineffective at replacing conventional power stations, especially as more wind power is added to the grid.
The foolish government subsidies provided to wind power projects disguise the fact that wind power is incredibly inefficient and hence is highly anti-environmental, wthout even considering the visible pollution, noise or bird kill.
(2) Some supporters of wind power say that it does not matter that wind power requires greater than 90% backup by conventional power stations, because when the wind does blow it allows those conventional power stations to shut down, saving gas or coal. This is not quite correct. Large power plants, particularly nuclear and coal-fired ones, cannot be easily shut down and brought back up in response to varying wind speeds. Another problem is that the Capacity Factor, which is the amount of wind power actually generated divided by the nameplate capacity of the wind farm, is surprisingly low. E.On Netz reports a 19.3% Capacity Factor for their German gird, so they must install 5 times the nameplate capacity to actually generate that amount of power. Building these massive wind farms costs more than just money - money is a proxy for all the energy and pollution that goes into smelting the steel and copper, fabricating the components, erecting them, tying the towers into the grid, commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. Taxpayer subsidies disguise the fact that wind farms simply move the pollution from one location to another and probably add to total pollution and energy waste rather than decreasing it.
15.02.06Wind Turbines, a statement by The Ramblers' Association, Derbyshire Dales Group
Read an article debunking the myths about wind farms in PDF format.
10.02.06Letter to local residents
A letter to local residents can be viewed here. If you would like to object to the proposed wind farm, download this letter to send to Midlothian Council.
03.02.06E.ON submit planning application
E.ON have submitted their application to Midlothian Council to build an 18 turbine wind farm at Auchencorth Moss. We are looking at the Environmental Impact Assessment and will report in due course. Copies of the statement can be obtained in Adobe PDF format on CD ROM at a cost of £10. Paper copes are £100 each. A copy has been made available for viewing at Penicuik Public Library (see here for opening hours and directions). Copies of the Non Technical summary may be obtained free of charge from E.ON. The address to write to for all of the above is Darren Cuming, E.ON UK plc, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8LG.
Representations with respect to the Application should be made to Midlothian Council, Fairfield House, Lothian Road, Dalkeith, EH22 3ZQ.
23.12.05Support from David Bellamy
Professor David Bellamy is supporting our campaign, detailing the adverse affect on the land and landscape and on the integrity of the rare and important raised peat bog on Auchencorth Moss.
See articles in the Scottish Daily Mail, 16 December 2005 and two articles in the Evening News, 23 December 2005 (Article 1, Article 2, free registration required for this site). Over the Christmas period there have been many letters printed in The Scotsman and The Evening News on wind farms.
23.12.05Blazing turbine falls into field near A19
Firefighters cordoned off part of the A19 when a 55m high wind turbine burst into flames at the Nissan car plant. The six turbine wind farm was supplying part of the factory's electricity but the remaining turbines have been shut down pending an investigation. At the height of the blaze seven fire appliances were in attendance but no appliances are capable of dealing with fires at this height. Turbines that catch fire (see also article on safety) are normally allowed to burn themselves out which is why the A19 (and the A1231) were closed. Luckily when the turbine eventually collapsed, most of the structure fell away from the road.
For fuller accounts see BBC News Report and Sunderland Today
21.12.05ASA reduces CO2 savings from wind power, estimated by Renewable Energy Systems
The Advertising Standards Authority announced that it has overturned an earlier ruling upholding the CO2 savings claimed by Renewable Energy Systems for a major onshore wind farm proposal in the Denbrook Valley, Devon. Following an investigation by its own Independent reviewer, Sir John Caines, the claimed savings are considerably reduced. The ruling affects country-wide windfarm projects and gives clear guidance as to how CO2 savings are to be estimated. Dr John Constable, Policy and Research Director of the Renewable Energy Foundation said: "It's good to see that the ASA has revisited this issue and brought its ruling into line with commonsense engineering principles. The wind industry as a whole must now revise its claims, claims which have seriously distorted debate about the value of onshore windpower".
For the full ruling, with other considerations such as emissions, capacity factors and the effect on house prices, see ASA Website Adjudication
1.12.05In The News This Week
Temperatures plummeted recently but as is the case when high pressure in winter brings cold stationary air, there was little wind. There were very few places in Britain where wind power would have fed the grid. This demonstrates the problem with wind - it is unreliable. At such a time of low temperatures it fails to produce the necessary power. The high pressure across the UK lasted from the 18th to 24th November and caused temperatures as low as -9C (16F) in Braemar and -8C (17F) in Benson, Oxfordshire on the 18th. On the 23rd temperatures stayed below freezing all day in Leeming, North Yorkshire.
Nuclear power is in the news this week. The question is not of choosing between wind power and nuclear power. Wind power can only be a top-up that has to be replaced by other sources when the wind doesn't blow. Baseline power has to be provided by other reliable means for example coal, oil, gas, nuclear, biomass.
15.11.05Government report on Renewable Energy
The effect of the Renewables Obligation scheme means "A generator commissioning a well located onshore wind site in 2004-05 could, over the life of the project, expect to receive twice the level of support it needed to meet the costs of developing and operating the site".
The Renewables Obligation is currently at least four times more expensive than the other means of reducing carbon dioxide currently used in the
United Kingdom which include levying a charge on non household users of energy and controlling the carbon dioxide emitted by key industries.
A carbon tax would be a less complex way of reducing emissions.
You can view statements of note from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report here.
15.11.05Safety Issues
View a selection of incidents in Europe involving wind turbines, e.g. structural failure, blade throw, lightning strike, fire, ice throw and driver distraction. This
information is courtesy of the Caithness Windfarm Information Forum (www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk).
06.10.05
The Large Heath is a butterfly specifically of Lowlands raised bogs, blanket bogs and damp acidic moorland. Sites occupied are usually below 500-600 metres. The butterfly is restricted to these wet boggy habitats in Northern Britain with a few isolated sites in Wales and England. Although still comparatively common in Ireland and Scotland it has declined seriously in England and Wales.
Hare's tail cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) is one of the main food plants for the caterpillar - subsidiary plants include common cotton grass (E. augustifolium) and Jointed Rush (Juncus Articulatus). Cross leaved heath (Erica tetralix) provides the main nectar source for the adult. (photo courtesy of "A Donegal Hedgerow 2004")
